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April 12, 2008

Obama Volunteer Shuts Down Blog

In a serious free speech violation a volunteer for Barack Obama, a woman who has repeatedly smeared me because I won't support the Illinois Senator, has succeeded in shutting down The Pennsylvania Progressive. This elected public official, a Democratic Committeewoman from Pike Township, Berks County, filed a formal complaint against me and my blog for using her name without her permission. She told me she was blogging on January 26, 2008 along with two others, witnesses to that fact. She never expressed confidentiality and never said the information was off the record. Now she is claiming that two months after the fact. She freely and voluntarily offered this information and openly disclosed facts about herself on her blogs which anyone could use to determine her identity. In fact she made no attempts in her writings to conceal her identity. Now that she has publicly disgraced herself she is claiming confidentiality. Unfortunately that isn't a right an elected official can claim under the First Amendment.

Typepad informed me today of the following:

Dear Mr. Morgan,

If
Ms. W---z did not give you permission to post her name on your blog,
then it is still an invasion of her privacy to do so. I have consulted
with Six Apart counsel and he does say that the full name must be
removed. This is a valid complaint under our Terms of Service and is
not criminal. Please comply with the request. Otherwise, we will need
to edit the post and comments ourselves to remove the disputed content.

Thanks,LauraSix Apart, Ltd.

Because of this, we must ask that you remove the name from the above-mentioned content and not re-post it.

Please
remove this material as soon as possible and contact us to let us know
of your compliance. If we have not heard back from you within two
business days, specifically by April 14, 2008, we will remove the
disputed content.

Thanks,LauraSix Apart, Ltd.

Her harassment of me has been criminal and I intend to file charges against her to that effect. Since Typepad is now prohibiting me from using the names of public figures I do not see how I can continue writing The Pennsylvania Progressive at Typepad.com. As such I see no alternative but to suspend the blog pending relocation. Meanwhile I am referring these free speech violations to my attorney.

So this is what the Obama campaign represents: the stifling of voices which dare differ from theirs. This campaign has done nothing, absolutely nothing, to my knowledge to restrain this lunatic's sabotaging of their campaign. Interestingly she has a history of sabotaging Democratic candidates as I noted in my article about her.

I revealed the fact she is an elected official in one of my comments on this article. Typepad has ordered me to remove that information but I dare not since it is a critical issue in a civil rights case against them and Mrs. Carol Wentz.

I am not going to go about securing the written permission of everyone mentioned on this blog. That is nigh on impossible. As such I see no alternative to suspend the blog. Remember this when you vote on April 22nd. I know I will.

Update: I worked all afternoon backing up the blog in case Typepad suspends my account. I am moving it temporarily pending a new, permanent location with a host which believes in First Amendment rights. Meanwhile if you would like to comment to Six Apart, Ltd. about their free speech violations, especially if you are a member of the media, legislator, Governor, Senator, Member of Congress, staffer or presidential candidate you can contact them here:

The hatred and vitriol being spewed by Obama supporters forced Tavis Smiley to quit his radio show this week. I am hardly the only person who has been targeted by these people. Meanwhile I suppose it goes without saying that I now endorse Hillary Rodham Clinton for President. I cannot support a man whose campaign tolerates hate speech.

Update: I've shut down the comments as part of shutting down the blog. If I'm successful transferring it to a new host I won't be able to move the comments so why bother adding more? They won't appear anyway.

Comments

The title of the entry is typical of the pattern I've seen in this blog - accusatory, distorted and self-dramatizing.

I initially subscribed to this blog to get information on the Pennsylvania primaries but I've consistently been put off by how often the stories seem to become about you and your 'victimhood'. It is astounding (and perhaps, with such great repetition, dubious) how often you are maltreated, affronted or slighted.

You surely had to agree to certain terms of service when you signed up with your blog hosting company which they seem to feel you have violated. They are within their rights to request you to cease violating these policies and you are within your rights to refuse (and to cancel service) but that is *your* choice. This volunteer was not involved in 'shutting down the blog' as you so dramatically describe it. You are responsible for what you write and you are responsible for your choices.

I support you in defending your first amendment rights and your choice to move to another blog hosting service if you feel that their policies are counter to what you wish to write or say, but this last entry has made it easier for me to decide to stop trying to get unbiased, undistorted journalism on the current political situation in Pennsylvania from this site.

The title of this article is entirely factual. I cannot continue blogging if I am required to obtain express permission before using anyone's name. Typepad knew (because the chose the comment as one I was ordered to remove) she is a public figure yet their attorney says I cannot use her name.

Under law public persons have no expectation of privacy. Therefore this is a violation of my free speech rights. Until I relocate the blog or secure a legal victory I cannot blog while under this severe restraint.

The terms of service cannot apply to my coverage of public officials. As such they would be illegal and unenforceable. Typepad, however, has chosen to ignore the law in this matter.

I believe this was an express attempt on the part of someone on the Obama campaign to silence this blog until April 22nd. I have asked the Obama campaign if they had any hand in this action.

i rely on your blog daily for incisive analysis and insights into the political terrain of pennsylvania. your on-line departure, no matter how ephemeral, saddens me greatly. please hurry back. i and others deeply appreciate your myriad contributions to the progressive blogging community.

Typepad has imposed an impossible standard. It is impossible to obtain the express permission of every public official and every source. I would have to carry such forms with me all the time and I would have to mail them to anyone who contacted me via telephone or email before writing a story. Due to the time sensitivity of many stories this is impossible.

For example how would I live blog an Obama or Clinton event if I have to obtain the permission of everyone who spoke there, even those asking questions?

I will have to determine if it is possible to find a host for the blog which is compatible with public reporting. Depending on the cost of setting up my own template and software this may be financially impossible.